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Diving to the shipwreck of the SS President Coolidge (video)
Follow Simon on a journey through Vanuatu’s recent history, shaped by the Second World War.
I had already been out of the UK for almost three weeks by the time I arrived on Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. Memories of the beaches of Koh Tao, the bright, scurrying madness of Bangkok, and the proud dignity of Sydney were also banished from my mind by this astonishing island in the South Pacific.
Sadly for my shooting schedule (not to mention my constitution), a tasty yet dodgy burger I’d eaten in the capital proceeded to wipe me out completely. As I lay shivering in my dingy room at the equally dingy River Hotel, the potential folly of my undertaking was becoming more obvious as first one, then two, and finally three of my allocated shooting days on Santo slipped away with noting yet shot. I realised that when I did recover, and at the time that felt like quite a large assumption, I would have to shoot documentary gold!
To this day I believe a diet of water, antibiotics and Watties Baked Beans saved me. And not one day too soon I was out and about, exploring this beautiful, enigmatic island.
Apart from Independence in 1980, the biggest thing to really hit Vanuatu was the Second World War. Espiritu Santo, or just Santo as it’s known locally, still bears the scars from that conflict. Strategically, the island was vital to the Americans as it was close enough for their B-17’s to strike at the Japanese forces, but too far for any Japanese bomber to strike back. Great swathes of forest were felled to make airfields, and these are still obvious to this day. And deep in the gloom of the interior, beneath a thick canopy of leaves, you can still find twisted pieces of wreckage from downed B-17 bombers.
But it is out in the channel between Santo and the tiny island of Aore to the south that Santo really stands out. For it is there that you will find the SS President Coolidge...
Sadly for my shooting schedule (not to mention my constitution), a tasty yet dodgy burger I’d eaten in the capital proceeded to wipe me out completely. As I lay shivering in my dingy room at the equally dingy River Hotel, the potential folly of my undertaking was becoming more obvious as first one, then two, and finally three of my allocated shooting days on Santo slipped away with noting yet shot. I realised that when I did recover, and at the time that felt like quite a large assumption, I would have to shoot documentary gold!
To this day I believe a diet of water, antibiotics and Watties Baked Beans saved me. And not one day too soon I was out and about, exploring this beautiful, enigmatic island.
Apart from Independence in 1980, the biggest thing to really hit Vanuatu was the Second World War. Espiritu Santo, or just Santo as it’s known locally, still bears the scars from that conflict. Strategically, the island was vital to the Americans as it was close enough for their B-17’s to strike at the Japanese forces, but too far for any Japanese bomber to strike back. Great swathes of forest were felled to make airfields, and these are still obvious to this day. And deep in the gloom of the interior, beneath a thick canopy of leaves, you can still find twisted pieces of wreckage from downed B-17 bombers.
But it is out in the channel between Santo and the tiny island of Aore to the south that Santo really stands out. For it is there that you will find the SS President Coolidge...
The Travel Editor Recommends: Ever considered a holiday doing turtle conservation? And why not? Volunteer at the Hawksbill turtle conservation project in Vanuatu and you will work side by side with local conservationists surveying nesting sites. But it's not all hard work...you'll have time to snorkel, learn to scuba dive and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the islands. Packages available lasting from 4 to 12 weeks.
Useful links
Volunteer at the Hawksbill Turtle conservation project in Vanuatu
Added 2008/03/03 @ 19:03:02
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